Drying apparatus.



D. HURLEY & J. E. OSHEA;

DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APRJO, 1908.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

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IMVENTORS WITNESSES:

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DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APRJO, 1908.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

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D. HURLBY & J. E. OSHEA.

DRYING APPARATUS.

7 APPLICATION FILED APR.10,1908. w ggg Patented Jan. 18,1910.

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UNI ED .srrA Es PATENT our-ion.

DANIEL HURLEY, or rnovmnncn, nnonn ISLAND, Ami worm nnmm'n osnnn, or

. NEW YORK, N. Y.

DRYING urrana'rus.

To all 'whom ii may concern: I

Be it known that we, DANIEL H RLEY, of

Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, and JOHN EDMUND OSHE of New York, in the county of New ru ber, rubber covered wire, coils, cables,

armatures, etc.

The invention s directed to providing improved means, rigid in construction, and ac- "cessible in operation, for drying in the presence of a vacuum by the application of heat, and for automatically controlling the vacuum and the circulation of steam or other heating fluid, thereby maintaining absolute dryness without overheating the material.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved dryin shelves and to so support them as to permit their free expansion independent of the expansion of the casing. 7

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation, and partial section through the line AB, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view partly broken away. Fig. 3 is a front elevation showing a slight modification.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates an inclosing tank and 2 the cylindrical wall thereof although any desired form of casing may be used.

3 represents the chamberedlieating shelves shown transversely disposed in the casing in series communication and mounted on ledges 4. Each of these shelves is shown comprising upper. and lower spaced apart plates 5 and end pieces 6 projecting beyond the plates and resting freely upon the ledges 4. By this meansan effective su port is provided while permitting the she ves tofreely expand and contract. This arrangement of the shelves provides for readily removing or repairing one plate independently of the others and for the grouping of the shelves so a smaller number may be operated when desired. 1 7

We provide for a circulation of steam or other heating'and drying fluid through the V Specification of Letters latent.

Application filed April 10, 1908. Serial No. 426,381.

Patented Jan. 18, 11910.

shelves. For this urpose an inlet pipe 7 is shown entering t e casin above the top of the superposed series 0 shelves. Tlus pipe is in communication with the top shelf at 8 as shown in Fig. 1 and the shelves are connected by tubes 9, preferably swiveled'or pivotally connected to the shelves to allow of unequal expansion, the inlet to the respective shelves bein atone side and the outlet therefrom at t e other. A partition 9 extends from one end to near the other i end of each shelf, as shown in Fig. 2, or between the inlet and outlet, thereby providing means for guiding the elastic heatingfluid in its path through the shelf so that the temperature at the plate may be equal throu hout its surface. Thus the steam admitted to the shelf at 8 from ipe 7 will pass to the other end of the shelfand then back and through tube 9 to the next subjacent shelf where the described course is repeated, the path of the steam being such that it drains the shelves of deposits, water and drips. After passing through the lowermost shelf the steam leaves the casing through pipe 10 in which is a pressure regulator 12 which automatically controlsthe pressure and flow in the heating shelves without acting as a vacuum breaker.

The space withi the shelves constitutes a vacuum chamber 13 from which a pipe 14.- leads to a'vacuum pump 15, a pressure controlling valve 16 being shown v rranged in the pipe 14. This valve when in action automatically controls the casing surrounding the pressure in the vacuum chamber 13 while maintaining the vacuum. Through pipe 17 communication is established from regulator 12 to pipe 14 and the pump. The vacuum controlling valve 16 comprises a valve 18 on a stem 19 extending up through the casing 20 and under the influence of a coil spring 21 encircling the stem'and a diaphragm 22 arranged the stem. The office of this valve is that when the ump 15 is set in operation, and the desire vacuum is established in the easing the vacuum acting on the diaphragm 22 which has atmospheric pressure on its upper side seats the valve 18 as against the tension of coil spring 21. The valve remains closed while the desired vacuum is maintained but ipe 14 to the vacuum pump 15 is estab- We have shown a condenser 23 interposed in pipe 14 and provided with tubes 24 through which cooling water may circulate. In the construction shown in Fig. 3 the condenser is dispensed with and pipes 14 and 17 are shown leading to a rotary pump 25, the steam exhausting to the atmosphere at 26. a

In operation the materials to be dried are placed in pans on shelves 3 through the open ends of the casing, doors 27, Fig. 2, afiording means of ready access. The vacuum pump is started and the pressure reduced in the casing to the desired operating vacuum, the action of the regulator 16 maintainingthe vacuum in chamber 13 as described. The steam supply is admitted through pipb 7 and after passing downwardly through the successive shelves it is exhausted through ipes 10 and 17 and regulator 12. This regu ator, when adjusted according to conditions, antomatically controls the flow of steam through the shelves thereby insuring its full 1 heating effect. The vacuum pump exhausts the vapor from chamber 13 while'the regulator 16 maintains the ressure constant. The pump further with raws steam from the shelves thus promoting the flow thereof while the regulator 12 controls the quantity of flow.

We have specified the part 23 as a condenser since it is available for use in condensing the steam from the shelves and the vapors from the vacuum chamber, but it is obvious that the heat of the water passing through its tubes 24 may be utilized n various ways, as for heating feed water. e cla m as our mvent1on:-

' 1. In a drying apparatus, a casin drying shelves therein, means for con ucting drying fluid to and from said shelves, a

' pump, and connections between said pump and the interior of said casing and between said pump and the outlet from said shelves, for the purpose stated.

2. In a drying apparatus, a casing, drying shelves therein, means for conducting drying fluid to said shelves, an outlet from said shelves, a pump, a pipe leading from said casing to said pump, a pressure regulator therein, a second pipe leading from said outlet to said pump, and a pressure regulator in saiisecond pipe.

3. In a drying apparatus, a casin drying shelves therein, means for conducting steam to said shelves, a pumpv for exhausting steam from, said shelves, a pipe leading from said casin to said pump and in communication with the steam exhaust from said shelves, and acondenser in said pipe.

4. In a drying apparatus, the combination with the casing havmg interior ledges, of a plurality of hollow dryin shelves resting freely on said ledges and out of contact with said casing to allow of expansion, and in series communication, each ofsaid shelves having a heating fluid inlet and outlet at one end and a central partition extending from such end toward the opposite end, and means for conducting heating fluid through said shelves.

5. In a drying apparatus, the combination with the casing having on the inner faces of its opposite walls a series of ledges, hollow drying shelves within said casing and resting freely on said ledges, and swiveled tubes connecting said shelves in'series.

In testimony whereof, we have each signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DANIEL HURLEY.

JOHN EDMUND OSHEA.

Witnesses to signature of Daniel Hurley:

RICHAR A. HURLEY, IDA AJWnrrran.

Witnesses to signature of J. E. OShea:

'GRAFTON L. MCGILL, ALICE D. LIN. 

